About

How much of Earth's atmosphere must we contaminate? How much of our lands and waters must we pollute? How much of our resources must we plunder, deplete? How many species must we ravage, despoil, extinguish? How many people must we degrade, deprive, destroy with toxic wastes and wars, before we learn to respect one another, to live in harmony on this planet, our Home?
"All living beings are brothers and sisters, nourished from the same source of life.." -- Thich Nhat Hanh

About Me

I was born in Eastern Europe during the height of the
Stalinist regime's reign of terror. Thus, I know what it is like to live under a repressive, dictatorial regime. The fear and terror -- as dissident friends and family members were tortured, imprisoned and some were executed -- is indelibly etched in my memory. That is the reason I have always been an ardent advocate of freedom, social justice, civil liberties, human rights and a voice of peace. The way I see it, war is morally wrong, regardless of who wages it, for whatever reason. No piece of land or commodity is worth the sacrifice of one human life. We are all members of the same race - the "human race" - and must learn to coexist peacefully. Our planet cannot sustain us much longer if we do not stop our wars, nukes, polluting, deforestation, and the wasteful, gluttonous consumption and depletion of our natural resources.

âA satisfyingly virulent, comical, absurd, deeply grieving true portrait of how things work today in the sleek factories of conglomerate book producers... A skillful novel of manners -- of very bad mannersâ

Thursday, January 11, 2007

I just received this from anti-war friends in response to Bush's announcement last night about military escalation in Iraq. Global signatures are needed to help stop this insanity. If enough people speak up now, the newly-elected U.S. Congress might just have the guts to do it. The Iraq crisis is a global problem - and it will take global pressure to change its course. Add your name to the petition! Spread the word to your friends!

Dear friends,

Just when we thought the war in Iraq couldn't get any worse - it has. Last night, President Bush rejected reality, spurned the American people's verdict, and announced his new policy: MILITARY ESCALATION IN IRAQ.

The good news is that the newly elected United States Congress can stop this madness. We're launching an immediate campaign to let the Congress hear from global voices - placing an ad with the number of signatures to our petition in "Roll Call", an influential political paper sent to every member of the US Congress. Click below to visit our new campaign site at Avaaz.org, see the ad, and sign the petition:

The US-led coalition forces and the Iraqi government are part of the problem, and sending tens of thousands more American troops will only fan the flames of this war. But the US Congress can demand a real diplomatic plan to end the war - if they feel enough pressure to do it.

This new Congress has real power to stop Bush in his tracks. The Democrats were elected to end the war. If enough people speak up now, they might just have the guts to do it.

PS - In an online poll last year, nearly a thousand of you helped choose a compelling new name for our global campaigning effort - www.Avaaz.org. Avaaz means "voice" or "song" in many Asian languages. The new site is up, so check it out! www.Avaaz.org.

Avaaz.org is a community of global citizens who take action on the major issues facing the world today. The aim of Avaaz.org is to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decisions. Avaaz.org members act for a more just and peaceful world and a globalisation with a human face.

3 comment(s):

One political analyst speculates that while the majority of Democrats oppose the additional troop deployment, they are unlikely to block the proposal because the onus of future deteriation in the situtuation would then fall on them.